Rupert Murdoch at the Leveson Inquiry
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My colleague Kate Holton rounds up events from yesterday's hearing and looks ahead to Murdoch senior's grilling by lead counsel Robert Jay, in this piece. Here's a taste:
Rupert Murdoch makes a keenly anticipated appearance before a high-profile media inquiry on Wednesday to confront charges that he used his powerful stable of British newspapers to influence politicians for the benefit of his business interests.
The 81-year-old mogul - his media empire already under fire from many sides in Britain - will testify before the Leveson inquiry a day after his son James appeared in a highly charged session that revealed how a government minister had advised Murdoch's News Corp in its bid to buy the successful pay-TV group BSkyB last year.
The minister, media secretary Jeremy Hunt, briefed News Corp on the thinking of regulators and leaked confidential information, while at the same time acting for the government in deciding whether to approve the controversial $12 billion (7.4 billion pounds) Sky deal.
Allegations that the government had sought to help Murdoch in his business dealings go to the heart of the issue in Britain, that Murdoch wields too much influence and that this resulted in a company culture which rode roughshod over rules and regulations.
Prime Minister David Cameron appointed judge Brian Leveson to examine Britain's press standards after journalists at Murdoch's News of the World tabloid admitted hacking into phones on a massive scale to generate exclusives.
The revelations last July convulsed Murdoch's media empire, exposed the close ties between the upper echelons of Britain's establishment and provoked a wave of public anger.
U.S.-based News Corp, owner of Fox Television and the Wall Street Journal, eventually pulled its bid to buy the 61 percent of satellite broadcaster BSkyB that it did not already own amid the intense political and public pressure.
Murdoch is likely to face questions over how the phone hacking came about but he will also face detailed questioning about his relationship with politicians. -
PM David Cameron, suffering in the polls since last month's poorly-received Budget, could be in for a rough ride today. On top of all this Leveson hullabaloo, first quarter GDP data (due out in less than 15 minutes), will tell us if the UK is in its second recession since the financial crisis started. Plus, he's got PMQs to look forward to at noon.
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My colleague Mohammed Abbas says PM Cameron is in danger of "slipping past a point of no return."
Derided as an "arrogant posh boy" by a member of his own party to cap a terrible month of headlines, Prime Minister David Cameron is in danger of slipping past a point of no return as blunders pile up and friends turn to foes.
Powerful newspapers and allies who once fell over each other to sing his praises now accuse the expensively educated Conservative Party leader of "speaking for the few" and of "vanity globe-trotting" as the economy sputters and Britons suffer the harshest state spending cuts for a generation.
Read Mo's full story here. -
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Here's a list of questions The Guardian's Nick Davies thinks Rupert Murdoch should answer at today's hearing. www.guardian.co.uk
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@rupertmurdoch takes the oathby Peter Hunt via twitter 4/25/2012 9:10:51 AM -
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Jay asks Murdoch about a meeting with Baroness Thatcher on January 4 1981. Murdoch says he has no recollection of the meeting but accepts the minutes of Thatcher's press secretary, who was also in attendance.
Murdoch says the meeting was to inform Thatcher of the nature of his bid for the Times and Sunday Times. Murdoch says the meeting was "quite appropriate" because it involved the possible takeover of one of the country's "great economic assets." -
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@rupertmurdoch on alignment of views with thatcherI didn't have the will to crush the unions. I might have had the desire #levesonby georginius via twitter 4/25/2012 9:31:11 AM -
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"The need (for this inquiry) is fairly obvious. There have been some abuses shown ... The state of the media in this country is of absolutely vital interest to all its citizens ... Frankly I welcome the opportunity because I wanted to put some myths to bed."
Keep track of the key quotes here: Highlights -
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@rupertmurdoch: we've never pushed our commercial interests in our newspapers... And, I don't think I have any aura #levesonby georginius via twitter 4/25/2012 9:55:19 AM
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Murdoch says he hopes his editors would agree with his views #levesonby Robert Peston via twitter 4/25/2012 9:57:34 AM -
@rupertmurdoch: I have great respect for the British public #levesonby georginius via twitter 4/25/2012 9:59:21 AM
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@rupertmurdoch asked at #leveson about his ex editor Harold Evans: I never read his book, I'm sorryby georginius via twitter 4/25/2012 10:02:19 AM
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"I didn't have the will to crush the unions. I might have had the desire, but that took several years."
Keep track of the key quotes here: Highlights -
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Breaking: Jeremy Hunt's special adviser, Adam Smith, falls on his sword before PMQs and Hunt's statement #Levesonby arusbridger via twitter 4/25/2012 10:22:10 AM -
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Here's Adam Smith's resignation statement:
While it was part of my role to keep News Corporation informed throughout the BskyB bid process, the content and extent of my contact was done without authorisation from the Secretary of State.
I do not recognise all of what Fred Michel said, but nonetheless I appreciate that my activities at times went too far and have, taken together, created the perception that News Corporation had too close a relationship with the department, contrary to the clear requirements set out by Jeremy Hunt and the permanent secretary that this needed to be a fair and scrupulous process.
Whilst I firmly believe that the process was in fact conducted scrupulously fairly, as a result of my activities it is only right for me to step down as special adviser to Jeremy Hunt. -
On the subject of hacking, Murdoch says he doesn't believe in the practice. "That's a lazy way of reporters not doing their job," he says.
On privacy though, he adds "it is fair when people have themselves held up as iconic figures or great actors that they be looked at." -
Murdoch thought Sun front page for 92 election, the Kinnock lightbulb one, was "absolutely brilliant"by Robert Peston via twitter 4/25/2012 10:32:41 AM
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The Murdoch's are clearly not a self-promotional sort - their newspapers taking a somewhat less Murdoch-oriented approach to their front pages...: themediablog.typepad.com
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Key evidence from yesterday's hearing with James Murdoch: http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/evidence/?day=2012-04-24
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